The automobile is commonly fitted with a spare wheel that can function as a replacement for a road wheel that is no longer capable of functioning. A jack for lifting the vehicle, typically a scissors jack, is also provided with the vehicle to enable the vehicle operator to lift the vehicle to allow wheel replacement. While vehicle manufacturers endeavored to make the changing of a tire as easy as possible, it is understood that a significant percentage of vehicle operators do not know the steps required in changing a vehicle tire. According to a study undertaken by “Cheap Car Insurance” that investigated the comfort level of 2000 vehicle drivers in the U.S. with regard to their tire-changing knowledge, only 42.2% of drivers polled felt “completely confident” that they could change a flat tire, 17.0% claimed that they were “somewhat confident,” 19.0% claimed that they were “not very confident” and a statistically significant 21.8% claimed that they were “clueless” as to how to change a tire. (http://www.cheapcarinsurance.net/americas-automotive-iq/)
Given numbers such as these, automobile manufacturers understand the need to continue to modify the tire changing-components, such as the vehicle jack, to simplify the operation for users. As to the jack itself, it is well-known that the vehicle is not lifted by any axle component but instead is lifted from a point under the vertical rocker panel. The correct location is either vehicle-forward near a front wheel or vehicle-rearward near a rear wheel.
Correct use of the scissors jack requires that the operator position the base or foot of the jack on the ground in a strategic location beneath a flange formed on the underside of the vertical rocker panel configured for this purpose. To enable the operator to readily and correctly position the load engaging saddle of the jack beneath the flange of the rocker panel, manufacturers typically provide markings such as arrows or notches in the flange to function as guide marks between which the saddle is to be positioned.
The system enabling the proper alignment of the load engaging saddle of the jack is effective under lighted conditions but is less effective under darkened or unlighted conditions. A jack operator finds that placing the jack in the correct position is made all the more difficult under such conditions and, of necessity, is forced to rely on a light source such as a flashlight or the illumination of a cell phone in order to properly align saddle of the jack with the placement markings on the rocker panel flange. This situation is made all the more complex because placement of the jack requires the operator to engage both hands, making them unavailable for handling the source. A further complexity is the likelihood that the operator's hands will have become dirty by handling the tire and tire-replacing tools, thus making them unsuitable for handling the flashlight or cell phone.
Accordingly, given the increased likelihood that the operator may fail to properly locate the jack in the event of a wheel replacement under conditions of limited or no ambient light, an alternative approach to jack alignment is needed. Such an improvement would provide a reduced risk that the operator would inadvertently position the jack in the wrong place, a circumstance that represents danger to the operator.